Enantioselective synthesis Michael addition

The potential application of this catalytic system was illustrated by Takemoto in the application to a tandem conjugate addition towards the asymmetric synthesis of (-)-epibatidine, a biologically active natural product [100, 101], The authors designed an enantioselective double Michael addition of an unsaturated functionalized P-ketoester to a p-aryl nitro-olefm. The asymmetric synthesis of the 4-nitro-cyclohexanones was achieved in both high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity, with the natural product precursor synthesized in 90% yield and 87.5 12.5 er (Scheme 49). The target (-)-epibatidine was subsequently achieved in six steps. 

Sulfones have become increasingly important in organic synthesis in recent years and a, P-unsaturated sulfones especially are known to be excellent Michael acceptors. Following our concept of using SAMP derivatives as chiral equivalents of ammonia, the enantioselective aza-Michael addition has been investigated in order to provide a new method for the synthesis of P-aminosulfones [15]. 

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of 4-hydroxycouma-rines and related compounds to a,p-unsaturated ketones has been also achieved using imidazolidine catalyst 137 [213]. The reaction, which gives high yields and enantioselectivities for a wide range of cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and enones, has been successfully employed for the asymmetric synthesis of the anticoagulant warfarin (Scheme 2.78) and derivatives [213], With respect to the reaction mechanism, very recent studies have demonstrated that the truly active catalyst in the process was the chiral diamine 138, which is formed in catalytic amounts under the reaction conditions by reaction with the hydroxycoumarine (Schane 2.79)... 

Under the catalysis of 22c, a structurally similar pro-nucleophile, a-tert-butylthio-substituted furanone, underwent the highly syn- and enantioselective vinylogous Michael addition to nitroalkenes (Scheme 7.38) [62). These methods allowed fadle access to optically active polyfunctionaUzed butenolides, which are versatile chiral synthons in organic synthesis. 

Scheme 44.1 Synthesis of (-)-bitungolide F (18) via an enantioselective organocatalyzed Michael addition.

With the use of chiral reagents a differentiation of enantiotopic faces is possible, leading to an enantioselective reaction. The stereoselective version of the Michael addition reaction can be a useful tool in organic synthesis, for instance in the synthesis of natural products. 

The enantioselective 1,4-addition addition of organometaUic reagents to a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, the so-called Michael reaction, provides a powerful method for the synthesis of optically active compounds by carbon-carbon bond formation [129]. Therefore, symmetrical and unsymmetrical MiniPHOS phosphines were used for in situ preparation of copper-catalysts, and employed in an optimization study on Cu(I)-catalyzed Michael reactions of di-ethylzinc to a, -unsaturated ketones (Scheme 31) [29,30]. In most cases, complete conversion and good enantioselectivity were obtained and no 1,2-addition product was detected, showing complete regioselectivity. Of interest, the enantioselectivity observed using Cu(I) directly in place of Cu(II) allowed enhanced enantioselectivity, implying that the chiral environment of the Cu(I) complex produced by in situ reduction of Cu(II) may be less selective than the one with preformed Cu(I). 

On the other hand, the enantioselective 1,4-addition of carbanions such as enolates to linear enones is an interesting challenge, since relatively few efficient methods exist for these transformations. The Michael reaction of p-dicarbonyl compounds with a,p-unsaturated ketones can be catalysed by a number of transition-metal compounds. The asymmetric version of this reaction has been performed using chiral diol, diamine, and diphosphine ligands. In the past few years, bidentate and polydentate thioethers have begun to be considered as chiral ligands for this reaction. As an example, Christoffers et al. have developed the synthesis of several S/O-bidentate and S/O/S-tridentate thioether... 

In a recently published report by MacMillan s group [121] on the enantioselective synthesis of pyrroloindoline and furanoindoline natural products such as (-)-flustramine B 2-219 [122], enantiopure amines 2-215 were used as organocatalysts to promote a domino Michael addition/cyclization sequence (Scheme 2.51). As substrates, the substituted tryptamine 2-214 and a, 3-unsaturated aldehydes were used. Reaction of 2-214 and acrolein in the presence of 2-215 probably leads to the intermediate 2-216, which cyclizes to give the pyrroloindole moiety 2-217 with subsequent hydrolysis of the enamine moiety and reconstitution of the imidazolid-inone catalyst. After reduction of the aldehyde functionality in 2-217 with NaBH4 the flustramine precursor 2-218 was isolated in very good 90 % ee and 78 % yield. 

Enantioselective synthesis of the antidepressant rolipram can be done by the asymmetric Michael addition of the enolate of IV-acetyloxazolidone to nitrostyrene. Chirally branched pyrrolidones like rolipram are highly active antidepressants with novel postsynaptic modes of action. The synthesis is shown in Scheme 4.13.78... 

A short enantioselective synthesis of (-)-(R,R)-pyrenophorin, a naturally occurring anti-fun-gal 16-membered macrolide dilactone, is prepared from (S)-5-nitropentan-2-ol via the Michael addition and Nef reaction (Scheme 4.23).162 The choice of base is important to get the E-alkene in the Michael addition, for other bases give a mixture of E and Z-alkenes. The requisite chiral (S)-5-nitropentan-2-ol is prepared by enantioselective reduction of 5-nitropentan-2-one with baker s yeast.163... 

Catalytic enantioselective nucleophilic addition of nitroalkanes to electron-deficient alke-nes is a challenging area in organic synthesis. The use of cinchona alkaloids as chiral catalysts has been studied for many years. Asymmetric induction in the Michael addition of nitroalkanes to enones has been carried out with various chiral bases. Wynberg and coworkers have used various alkaloids and their derivatives, but the enantiomeric excess (ee) is generally low (up to 20%).199 The Michael addition of methyl vinyl ketone to 2-nitrocycloalkanes catalyzed by the cinchona alkaloid cinchonine affords adducts in high yields in up to 60% ee (Eq. 4.137).200... 

Chiral, Lewis acidic bisoxazoline complexes of Mg(II) have been employed as catalysts in asymmetric Michael addition of O-benzyUiydroxylamine to unsaturated amides, (115) -> (116). The enantioselectivity (67-90% ee) was rationalized by transition state (117). This approach constimtes a promising methodology for the synthesis of jS-amino acids. °... 

Dicarbonyl compounds are widely used in organic synthesis as activated nucleophiles. Because of the relatively high acidity of the methylenic C—H of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, most reactions involving 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds are considered to be nucleophilic additions or substitutions of enolates. However, some experimental evidence showed that 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds could react via C—H activations. Although this concept is still controversial, it opens a novel idea to consider the reactions of activated C H bonds. The chiral bifunctional Ru catalysts were used in enantioselective C C bonds formation by Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with high yields and enantiomeric excesses. ... 

MacMillan reported a short and effective synthesis of spiculisporic acid which elegantly exemplified his Mukaiyama-Michael addition of silyloxyfurans to a,P-unsatu-rated aldehydes [88], Robichaud and Tremblay augmented this in a formal synthesis of compactin [224], Within this report it was shown that low enantioselectivities were obtained in the conjugate addition to aCTolein. Use of p-silyl acrolein 177 circumvented this and gave butenohde 178 in 95% yield and 82% ee. Conversion of adduct 178 to the decaUn (179) in eight steps resulted in a formal synthesis (Scheme 71). 

Scheme 6.60 Total synthesis of (-)-epibatidine including a 12-catalyzed Michael addition as enantioselective key step.

During our investigations on asymmetric C—C bond formation reactions via conjugate addition of SAMP hydrazones to various a,(3-unsaturated Michael acceptors, it occurred to us to use the chiral hydrazine auxiliary S AM P as a nitrogen nucleophile and a chiral equivalent of ammonia in aza-Michael additions. Thus, we developed diastereo- and enantioselective 1,4-additions for the synthesis of P-amino acids and P-aminosulfonates [14, 15]. 

It is interesting to note that the oxa-analogous Michael addition was reported for the first time in 1878 by Loydl et al. [19] in their work on the synthesis of artificial malic acid, which was five years ahead of the discovery of the actual Michael reaction described first by Komnenos [20], Claisen [21], and later Michael in 1887 [22] as one of the most important methods for C—C bond formation. In continuation of the early work on the oxa-Michael addition [23], the inter- and intramolecular additions of alkoxides to enantiopure Michael acceptors has been investigated, leading to the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of the corresponding Michael adducts [24]. The intramolecular reaction has often been used as a key step in natural product synthesis, for example as by Nicolaou et al. in the synthesis of Brevetoxin B in 1989 [25]. The addition of oxygen nucleophiles to nitro-alkenes was described by Barrett et al. [26], Kamimura et al. [27], and Brade and Vasella [28]. 

A related allylic C-H insertion that has considerable promise for strategic organic synthesis is the reaction with enol silyl ethers [23]. The resulting silyl-protected 1,5-dicarbonyls would otherwise typically be formed by means of a Michael addition. Even though with ethyl diazoacetates vinyl ethers are readily cyclopropanated [l],such reactions are generally disfavored in trisubstituted vinyl ethers with the sterically crowded donor/acceptor carbenoids [23]. Instead, C-H insertion predominates. Again, if sufficient size differentiation exists at the C-H activation site, highly diastereoselective and enantioselective reactions can be achieved as illustrated in the reaction of 20 with 17 to form 21 [23]. 

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